she had a cousin married to a farmer in a
distant part of England ; and, one day, taking
George in a moment of sobriety and
repentance, she made a strong appeal to his
feelings and affections. " I know," she said,
" that it is Jackson who tempts you to drink,
when of yourself you might resist ; and I do
believe that if the habit were once broken,
and your acquaintance with him ceased, we
might all be saved yet. Go to my cousin's;
she has often invited us, and I'll write to her
and say you are ordered change of air for
your health. You'll see no drinking there ;
her husband 's a very sober man. You like
farming—go into the fields and the gardens,
and work with the spade and plough. It will
make another man of you, George. When
you return, we'll break with Jackson entirely."

The appeal prevailed. George sobbed,
threw his arms round his wife's neck, and
vowed that he would never touch liquor again.
Eventually, with his wardrobe brushed up, he
was despatched on this hopeful expedition.

Such a course of life as this, however, could
not be carried on without some evil consequences
to himself as well as others; and in spite of
the efforts of his miserable wife to keep things
together, the house was ill-conducted; custom
forsook it; and although, unknown to Hannah,
Jackson had by degrees extracted from
Hammond every penny of the savings deposited in
the bank, he was distressed for money, and
could not keep his creditors quiet. Added to
this, he fell ill with a severe attack of delirium
tremens, and, when matters were at the worst
with him, and they thought he would die,
Hannah's energetic mind began to form plans
for the future. Henry and Esther should be
married; the money in the Bank should pay
off the most pressing liabilities; the care and
industry of the young people should restore the
house to its former flourishing condition; Mrs.
Jackson, the mother, could live with her son,
and they should all be once more happy—for,
the tempter gone, George would be sober.
Was he not sober now at the pleasant farm-
house, where he was living with her friends?
Did not every letter of her cousin's praise
him, and assure her that he never expressed
a desire to drink; and that even although
they had been to a christening in the
neighbourhood, where there was a vast deal of
conviviality, George had been so abstemious and
cautious, as to delight them all?

But, alas! Jackson recovered, and with his
recovery Hannah's plans were frustrated;
but she had a fertile brain; and, where the
welfare of those she loved was concerned,
her energies never slept. She learnt from
Harry, that Jackson's creditors were more
pressing than ever, and that he did not know
which way to turn for money. It was quite
certain that if nothing were done, his property
would be seized, and his wife turned into the
street. Might she not take advantage of
these embarrassments, and execute her
original plan on condition of his abandoning the
neighbourhood altogether ? Next to his death,
his removal would be the best thing. Harry
and Esther would keep the house : the creditors
would be indulgent ; and, amongst the family,
they would make an allowance for the support
of Mr. and Mrs. Jackson in some distant spot ;
any sacrifice being preferable to the certain
ruin that impended. Mrs. Jackson was afraid
her husband would not consent to the scheme ;
but she was mistaken ; people who are the
victims of intemperance are easily won to
acquiesce in any measures that are proposed
for their advantage ; their adherence to them
is another affair. But Hannah set to work ;
and as there was a general sympathy with
her laudable endeavour, she met with full
success. Such portions of the debt as they
could not pay, Harry and Hammond were to
become answerable for ; and as the business
of the King's Arms had once been a profitable
one, there was every reason to hope that the
young man might lure back the customers, in
process of time release his father-in-law from his
bond, and find himself a free and prosperous man.

Thus much done, there was no time to be
lost. Jackson, well and drunk, might refuse
to do what Jackson, sick and sober, had
consented to do; so a place was found for
himself and his wife, in a part of the country
inhabited by her relations, in order that, as
she said, if Jackson kept on drinking, she
might not be quite alone in the world.
Arrangements were then made for the marriage
of the young people.

And what said Hammond to all this? He
wrote home that he would consent to anything
his wife proposed, and he hoped it might
answer as well as she expected. Hannah was
sure it would; but, in order to avoid the
possibility of mischief, she arranged that her
husband should not return until the eve of the
wedding; whilst she had made it a condition
that Jackson should depart immediately after
it; thus excluding all possibility of a renewal
of intercourse.

On a fine evening in June, the mother and
daughter sat under the porch, hand in hand,
watching for the coach that was to drop
George at the door. How happy they were!
Harry had just left them, in order to spend
the last evening with his poor mother, and, as
he said, to have an eye to his father's proceedings.
Young George was still at his country
house  but he was to have a holiday the next
day, and to be present at the wedding.

At length there was a sound of wheels, and
"Here's the coach! " cried both the women,
as the well-loaded vehicle turned round a
corner of the road, and appeared in sight.
But, to their disappointment, instead of pulling
up, the driver only flung down the old
portmanteau, and pointed with his thumb towards
the town, intimating that he had dropt the
owner of it, there, as he passed.

Hannah turned pale. Why had he not come
on with the coach? Had he fallen in with
Jackson ? Her heart sunk within her.